Character

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Today i saw this:



Not only is this very well engineered...
What i find the most interesting here is, how he gave the box character...
Its not just the stubborn machine like others weve seen that just turn themselves off...
It has a mind of its own (a programmed one of course... but still) it even gets mixed up with itself at some point.

I find that hilarious, refreshing and inspiring!

I think that we should use this mindset for any animation we do...
Give our character purpose and make them appear like theyre thinking.
Even for the smallest mechanics test... think a bit further... give them purpose. Give them character.

A new chapter

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Today im already three months into my Framestore adventure, and i still find it hard to describe what i feel.

As a student or later when i was working in my first two animation jobs, i had this picture in mind on how it would be, to work in a world class studio. And now that im here, i have to realize... it is even better.
The company itself is so professional but still feels like a family.
I am completely overwhelmed by the sense of achievement, humility and joy...

I didn't realize what i had achieved when i actually got the job offer, or at least i didn't feel like i had achieved something.
Probably mostly because i thought, that someone who hires a guy with a reel like mine, cant really be THAT good.
But now im sitting in the midst of some fantastic animators, i am here! I am part of this!
Someday i have to ask our Lead what made him pick me over everyone else, because every time i think of it when i go to sleep i honestly cant make sense of it.

For the first time in my life i feel like im EXACTLY at the right place at the right time.
Were really starting something great and unique here, everyone has so much energy and wants to prove to the guys in London and the rest of the world, that we can do anything they throw at us. It feels like a family, and since most of the people are new to the city (theres only two canadians in our team of 10 animators and only one is from Montreal) we really are a tight knit team, which makes life in and outside of work even cooler.
When they asked me how i like it at Framestore and i had issues finding the right words, many of them just nodded, saying i know what you mean... They all feel the same, because they have been in the same place themselves... but still they kept their wonder and excitement about our craft, and that after 8+ years at Framestore or in this industry overall...
This is so exhilarating...

This is the first time everything comes together for me, and the hard work especially in the last two years starts to pay off.

I wish each and everyone of you out there who strives to become an animator, that you will make this same experience one day...
Realizing that one actually really CAN make all his dreams come true is the best thing ive ever felt...

How much i love Pixar

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Check out www.mountcg.com where i write down my thoughts and opinions on the industry!

Today a coworker sent me these two videos...






everyone knows how crazy i am about Pixar... but well... it got me all weepy and i had to tell someone, so i messaged the videos to another amazing friend here...

i wanted to share that little breakout...

Its hard to find words for how much i love my job already.
And if you think im too fixated on Pixar, i can tell you... i have questioned myself a lot. Trying to find some other place that might be as cool... and i found some amazing places that id like to work at... but then i watch Nemo or Wall-E or the Pixar Story again... and BAM... nothing else gives me these amazing tickling in my guts than Pixar and what it stands for.

These guys really touched me... with amazing stories and characters, but even more with amazing art and craftsmanship...
There is no other place like Pixar.

Ive won a Green Card... what now?

ATTENTION: I HAVE A NEW BLOG!
Check out www.mountcg.com where i write down my thoughts and opinions on the industry!

So... im one of the selected people of this years Green Card Lottery...
Im still halfway paralized and dont know what to do first and what to think at all...
But i think this is a good opportunity to somehow document the way to obtaining that Green Card so that interested people who are in the same position in future can get some info from it...

So stay tuned for more to come in the following months... For all ive read, its gonna take a while untill this stuff is over. They dont start interviewing people before October. But that also gives me enough time to gather all the materials i need :-)

Serious topics in animated films

ATTENTION: I HAVE A NEW BLOG!
Check out www.mountcg.com where i write down my thoughts and opinions on the industry!

I had to get sick to finally watch The Incredibles again... And while watching it, i noticed something i hadnt noticed before.

But let me start somewhere else first... over a long time ive been complaining about studios not having the balls to put more adult material in their movies. That was one of the things that "disappointed" me the most in Brave... that there wouldve been a chance to make it much darker.

Anyways... while watching Incredibles, i realized that Pixar had already done it.
There is LOTS of pretty adult stuff in there which would, shown in a live action movie, most likely make the movie not very suitable for kids.

But somehow Pixar (and Brad Bird) packed a plane crash, a father thinking he has lost his family, a woman who thinks her husband is cheating on her, open street violence and much more in a movie... and its absolutely suitable for Kids...
My admiration for Pixar (And Brad Bird) just grew even more when i realized that...

Go, try to watch Incredibles, and imagine some of those scenes in a live action movie...

Man Pixar... you just rock... :-)
You guys really just rock... i hope theres gonna be more of that in future (Like in Toy Story 3 f.ex.) and i hope the company doesnt get too corporate...
My hopes are high, especially for "Inside out"

Please dont disappoint me :-)

Kai the homeless guy

This guy is so genuine... i LOVE it... so unspoiled and straightforward.
And i totally buy it. Im sure this guy is real...

i want to meet more people like him...

i friggin LOVE animation...

ATTENTION: I HAVE A NEW BLOG!
Check out www.mountcg.com where i write down my thoughts and opinions on the industry!

After ranting around i just thought im writing something positive today.

I dont know if its because im super sensitive to caffeine or because im in love with a beautiful woman or whatever that im feeling such a rush at the moment, but i just realized once again how much i LOVE my life and what im doing with it.

Im working on two shots in my spare time at the moment, and both are a struggle, but every once in a while they take a step forward and i feel that im taking steps forward with my shots as well...
I can see how my work improves... i can see that with every shot im getting closer to accomplishing the dreadful task of making my stuff look the way i see it in my imagination...

I see how much that life drawing class helped me understand how to pose characters... and this was only the start... im gonna take more classes soon!
Also, by reading blogs about filmmaking, animation and art i feel so incredibly inspired...
There is still so much to explore... Drawing... i dont draw enough... if i look at Andreas Dejas fantastic blog im constantly reminded how amazing it is to be able to draw...
Music... there is no better way to express a feeling than through a song... i want to learn playing the guitar...
Photography... inspired by my friend Simon Christen i really want to get into photography too... learn about composition and the craft... i want to do a nice timelapse short about the beautiful city of Toronto...

But... a lot of the stuff i just mentioned has to wait because of my biggest passion...
Animation... i LOVE how im improving... Animation Mentor and iAnimate are the best places to be... its so inspiring to work with and learn from all those amazing people around me...There is so much to explore... so many stories to tell... i have at least 6 ideas for short stories that im bouncing around since about 2 years... i hope i find some time soon to actually produce one...

But there is also so much more in animation...
I wanna try 2D... by doing all the Assignments from AMs basic foundations class in 2D im learning so much more, especially about timing and spacing... i can only encourage EVERYONE to try to do this... it will give you a much broader view and understanding on how animation works...
I also want to try stop motion... after seeing Pirates, Paranorman and Frankenweenie this year i gotta say... those guys have my biggest respect...
Its insane how tedious the process of stop motion is... but i can only imagine how incredibly rewarding it must be...

An amazing year is ahead of us... im looking forward to what all you guys out there create...
And i hope i can share some of my creations too at some point... :-)